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Topic: Baseball caps in an interview (Read 28720 times)

I wouldn't make any assumptions about why the person was wearing a ball cap. Men who are going through cancer treatment will frequently wear a ball cap to cover hair loss. They aren't under any obligation to remove the hat indoors, regardless of who they are meeting. If it was a woman undergoing treatment and wearing a head covering (scarf or bandana) no one would think anything less of them.

Or the guy in person could be really insecure about their hair and the big bosses have OK'd him wearing the cap. I still don't see an issue with him wearing it. It really doesn't have any impact on other people.

Perhaps that's the point, to throw the interviewer out of his/her comfort zone. We're used to a certain "look" at a corporate interview, and a baseball cap obviously is different. Maybe the aim is to see who doesn't get flustered by it.

I can't stand mind games like that. I wouldn't get flustered, but I wouldn't think too highly of the interviewer.

My dh once did an interview in which they put a huge jar of jelly beans in front of each candidate. He was offered the job and asked what the deal was with the jelly bean jar, at which point the HR person laughed and said that department used the jelly bean "test" to determine which candidate to hire. He turned the job down based on that because (1) he thought the test was stupid and (2) loathes playing "games" to make important decisions and didn't want to be part of that environment. He knew the person who did take the job and he ended up leaving because they were always having these inane "tests" sprung on them that counted more in their reviews than their actual work.

Perhaps that's the point, to throw the interviewer out of his/her comfort zone. We're used to a certain "look" at a corporate interview, and a baseball cap obviously is different. Maybe the aim is to see who doesn't get flustered by it.

I can't stand mind games like that. I wouldn't get flustered, but I wouldn't think too highly of the interviewer.

My dh once did an interview in which they put a huge jar of jelly beans in front of each candidate. He was offered the job and asked what the deal was with the jelly bean jar, at which point the HR person laughed and said that department used the jelly bean "test" to determine which candidate to hire. He turned the job down based on that because (1) he thought the test was stupid and (2) loathes playing "games" to make important decisions and didn't want to be part of that environment. He knew the person who did take the job and he ended up leaving because they were always having these inane "tests" sprung on them that counted more in their reviews than their actual work.

Perhaps that's the point, to throw the interviewer out of his/her comfort zone. We're used to a certain "look" at a corporate interview, and a baseball cap obviously is different. Maybe the aim is to see who doesn't get flustered by it.

I can't stand mind games like that. I wouldn't get flustered, but I wouldn't think too highly of the interviewer.

My dh once did an interview in which they put a huge jar of jelly beans in front of each candidate. He was offered the job and asked what the deal was with the jelly bean jar, at which point the HR person laughed and said that department used the jelly bean "test" to determine which candidate to hire. He turned the job down based on that because (1) he thought the test was stupid and (2) loathes playing "games" to make important decisions and didn't want to be part of that environment. He knew the person who did take the job and he ended up leaving because they were always having these inane "tests" sprung on them that counted more in their reviews than their actual work.

I thought the test on jelly beans was whether someone asked if they could have some/offered them back to the interviewer before helping themselves. Stupid, IMO; I wouldn't offer jelly beans to people who obviously already own the jelly beans; but I don't care for jelly beans anyway so I'd just ignore a jar on the table.

In my line of work (loosely oilfield related), most men, even those high up, tend to wear caps at work; generally the cap has a company logo, but not always. They are generally people who started out working outdoors, wearing caps or hard hats all the time, and got into a habit of it. If they are balding they seem more likely to hold to the habit. I have noticed that my current boss tends to take his off around women unless he is headed out the door. I show up in the mornings and he takes off his hat. Nothing I would comment on but I think it's pretty cool of him.

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Jeans aren't that uncommon in IT, but I was offended by the baseball cap.

I don't really bother to get "offended" by violations of "bad form / good form" etiquette in the workplace. It's not a social situation, and I guess I think of "offended" as something personal or social.

If someone came to my fancy party in crappy clothes, I'd be offended. They're dissing my hospitality.

But I don't get offended by what a job applicant wears, and certainly not by what the interviewER wears. I regard that as evidence of their knowledge of good or bad form. But it's not a personal statement about or *at* me.

So i might not hire an applicant who dresses inappropriately, but I don't consider it an insult.

From the OP's description, the interviewer stood out from other employees because of his casual dress, so this was not a company-wide standard. It makes me wonder what he is trying to telegraph by his atypical attire. I think that the interviewer should take the interview as seriously as a final round candidate would, and dress appropriately. It seems disrespectful to do otherwise.

From the OP's description, the interviewer stood out from other employees because of his casual dress, so this was not a company-wide standard. It makes me wonder what he is trying to telegraph by his atypical attire. I think that the interviewer should take the interview as seriously as a final round candidate would, and dress appropriately. It seems disrespectful to do otherwise.

Maybe he was the boss/owner.. and they can wear what they want.

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From the OP's description, the interviewer stood out from other employees because of his casual dress, so this was not a company-wide standard. It makes me wonder what he is trying to telegraph by his atypical attire. I think that the interviewer should take the interview as seriously as a final round candidate would, and dress appropriately. It seems disrespectful to do otherwise.

Maybe he was the boss/owner.. and they can wear what they want.

Ball Cap was not the boss or the owner. He was the lowest ranking individual on the panel. He had worked for the company for 3 years (that's one of the questions I like to ask the interviewers -- you learn a bit about stability.) Since they were running an hour late with the interviews, I spent plenty of time in the lobby watching people come and go (patients, nurses, doctors, and staff). No one else had on a ball cap. It did not appear to be a religious issue, as the had matched his t-shirt, proclaiming his allegiance with a local college. (I've worked in religious institutions and know that yarmulkes and zucchettis stay on the wearer.) No one else had on a t-shirt either.

While I, as an interviewee, plan to be attired in a suit (and my recruiter asked what I was wearing to verify formality), I expect to be interviewed by someone dressed within the company's dress code, which, from the interview, I gathered to be business casual. Ball caps aren't business casual. I still find it rude and dismissive of him to wear the hat indoors and in my interview.

"Hats are removed when inside, except for places that are akin to public streets, like lobbies, corridors, and crowded elevators (non-residential). In a public building (where there are no apartments) the elevator is considered a public area.You may choose to remove your hat in a public elevator, but in the presence of a lady your hat must be removed."

Perhaps that's the point, to throw the interviewer out of his/her comfort zone. We're used to a certain "look" at a corporate interview, and a baseball cap obviously is different. Maybe the aim is to see who doesn't get flustered by it.

I can't stand mind games like that. I wouldn't get flustered, but I wouldn't think too highly of the interviewer.

My dh once did an interview in which they put a huge jar of jelly beans in front of each candidate. He was offered the job and asked what the deal was with the jelly bean jar, at which point the HR person laughed and said that department used the jelly bean "test" to determine which candidate to hire. He turned the job down based on that because (1) he thought the test was stupid and (2) loathes playing "games" to make important decisions and didn't want to be part of that environment. He knew the person who did take the job and he ended up leaving because they were always having these inane "tests" sprung on them that counted more in their reviews than their actual work.

Wow! Why would anyone do an activity in a meeting where people would be described as "skilled brown-noser", " might stay at school to horde supplies" or "The red jelly bean person can be extremely frustrated. In fact, researchers would like you to submit your name and address for future research!" (specially for a commonly liked flavour like strawberry).

Perhaps that's the point, to throw the interviewer out of his/her comfort zone. We're used to a certain "look" at a corporate interview, and a baseball cap obviously is different. Maybe the aim is to see who doesn't get flustered by it.

I can't stand mind games like that. I wouldn't get flustered, but I wouldn't think too highly of the interviewer.

My dh once did an interview in which they put a huge jar of jelly beans in front of each candidate. He was offered the job and asked what the deal was with the jelly bean jar, at which point the HR person laughed and said that department used the jelly bean "test" to determine which candidate to hire. He turned the job down based on that because (1) he thought the test was stupid and (2) loathes playing "games" to make important decisions and didn't want to be part of that environment. He knew the person who did take the job and he ended up leaving because they were always having these inane "tests" sprung on them that counted more in their reviews than their actual work.

Your DH was a wise man. I'd never want to work for a company that played games like that. Particularly when they're based on some random pop-psychology idea. The people who do this do so because they are afraid of making real decisions themselves, so they invent spurious tests to make it "objective." Hiring people is horribly subjective and we often get it wrong. That comes with the territory.

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Ball Cap was not the boss or the owner. He was the lowest ranking individual on the panel. He had worked for the company for 3 years (that's one of the questions I like to ask the interviewers -- you learn a bit about stability.) Since they were running an hour late with the interviews, I spent plenty of time in the lobby watching people come and go (patients, nurses, doctors, and staff). No one else had on a ball cap. It did not appear to be a religious issue, as the had matched his t-shirt, proclaiming his allegiance with a local college. (I've worked in religious institutions and know that yarmulkes and zucchettis stay on the wearer.) No one else had on a t-shirt either.

This might make me think that he was headed from or going to a college recruiting event. I could be way off, but if he's not new and none of the other interviewers were giving him funny looks, I would assume this is normal (and accepted) attire for him, at least in certain situations.

Ball Cap was not the boss or the owner. He was the lowest ranking individual on the panel. He had worked for the company for 3 years (that's one of the questions I like to ask the interviewers -- you learn a bit about stability.) Since they were running an hour late with the interviews, I spent plenty of time in the lobby watching people come and go (patients, nurses, doctors, and staff). No one else had on a ball cap. It did not appear to be a religious issue, as the had matched his t-shirt, proclaiming his allegiance with a local college. (I've worked in religious institutions and know that yarmulkes and zucchettis stay on the wearer.) No one else had on a t-shirt either.

For some people, college affiliation is a religious issue -- or so it seems.

In any case, I find the interviewer to be inappropriate. It sounds like he was dressed significantly more poorly than the standard dress for the organization. Even if that's what he wears on a daily basis, I wouldn't want to work with someone who wasn't willing to make a little effort to impress a candidate. Just as I wouldn't want to hire someone who wasn't willing to make an effort to dress appropriately when I interview them. Unless there's some medical issue involved, putting on a collared shirt and taking off a hat don't require a major effort.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

From the OP's description, the interviewer stood out from other employees because of his casual dress, so this was not a company-wide standard. It makes me wonder what he is trying to telegraph by his atypical attire. I think that the interviewer should take the interview as seriously as a final round candidate would, and dress appropriately. It seems disrespectful to do otherwise.

Maybe he was the boss/owner.. and they can wear what they want.

I'm an owner, and I dress appropriately when interviewing candidates, because I want the candidates to know that I take this decision seriously. I also respect that this is a serious issue for most candidates.

I have a cousin who started going bald at 18. As you can imagine, it was rather upsetting to him, and he hasn't been able to be comfortable with his lack of hair, not to mention he is fair-skinned so his head sunburns easily. He teeters back and forth between wearing a baseball cap to hide/protect his head, and taking it off to be good-mannered. I realize that for him, walking around without a hat, even indoors, is about as embarrassing as it is for me to discover that my shirt has hiked up and my pudgy tummy is on public view. I'm just glad that covering one's stomach, or upper arms, is always socially acceptable! I also have a friend who had a cancer on the back of his head, and his scalp from the ears back had to be removed. As he says, it's no problem to him, as from the front, he is still the same studly young man he always was. It's only people who see him from the back who are startled. He tried wearing a toupee, but quit after his wife told him it looked like he had a dead rat tied to the back of his head.And then there was the time I had a hemangioma removed from behind my left ear. A kindly nurse carefully shaved my head so I could do a comb-over to cover the bare spot. But if I'd had a nurse who was harried and hurried, or who'd been intimidated when the surgeon told her to shave a bigger area, I probably would have wanted to wear a hat all the time til my hair grew out, too. And once I had to go to a job interview 2 days after having been in an accident and getting 2nd degree burns on my face. On the way to the interview, the Silvadeen cream TARNISHED, and I showed up with a blackened greasy face. No way to hide that, I wasn't about to scrub the Silvadeen off or apply makeup on a fresh burn.

I'd give the interviewer the benefit of the doubt. There are all sorts of medical reasons why a person might think wearing a cap would look better than baring his head.